How to <b>Study</b> GRE <b>Math</b> | Magoosh GRE Blog

---

How to <b>Study</b> GRE <b>Math</b> | Magoosh GRE Blog Posted: 14 Mar 2013 09:41 AM PDT So you've bought a few of the major test prep books, and you're ready to rip into the quantitative part. You'll read through each book, page by page, and by the end, GRE math mastery will be yours. If only! Studying for GRE quant is actually much more complicated than the above. Indeed many become quickly stymied by such an approach, feeling that after hundreds of pages and tens of hours they've learned very little, and asking themselves … "But, how can I ever learn GRE math?!" To avoid such a thing befalling you, keep in mind the following important points on how to study for the GRE quantitative section (and how not to!). The GRE Math Formula Trap How can formulas be bad, you may ask? Aren't they the lifeblood of the GRE math? Actually, formulas are only so helpful. And they definitely aren't the lifeblood of the quant section. That would be problem-solving skills. Many students feel that all they have to do is use the formulas and they can solve a question. The reality is you must first decipher what the question is asking. Only at the very end, once you know how the different parts come together, can you "set up" the question. All too often, many students let the formulas do the thinking. By that I mean they see a word problem, say a distance/rate question, and instead of deconstructing the problem, they instantly come up with d(distance) = r(rate) x t(time) and start plugging in parts of the question. In other words, they expect the question to fall neatly into the formula. To illustrate, take a look at the following question: Two cyclists, Mike and Deborah, begin riding at 11:00 a.m. Mike rides at a constant rate of 40 kilometers per hour (kph), and Deborah rides at a constant rate of 30 kph. At noon Mike stops for lunch. At what time, will Deborah pass Mike, given that she continues at a constant rate? Students are tempted to immediately rely on the d = rt formula. They think: Do I use the formula once for Mike and once for Deborah? Or just once? But which person do I use it for? This an unfortunate quandary; the solution to the question relies on figuring out how many miles Mike has gone in one hour and how many miles behind him Deborah is (there is no formula for this conceptual step). Only at that point, does one use the d = rt formula. The answer, by the way, is 12:20 minutes. This is but one example from one concept. But if you find yourself stuck in a problem with only a formula or two in hand, remember that the essence of problem solving is just that: solving the problem using logic, so you can use the formula when appropriate. How to study for GRE math? Use training wheels! Many students learn some basic concepts/formulae and feel that they have the hang of it. As soon as they are thrown into a random fray of questions, they become discombobulated, uncertain of exactly what problem type they are dealing with. Basic problems, such as those you find in the Manhattan GRE math books, are an excellent way to begin studying. You get to build off the basic concepts in a chapter and solve problems of easy to medium difficulty. This phase, however, represents the "training wheels." Actually riding a bike, much like successfully answering a potpourri of questions, hinges on doing GRE math practice sessions that take you out of your comfort zone. In other words, you should try a few questions chosen at random. Opening up the Official Guide to the GRE and doing the first math questions you see is a good start. Even if you haven't seen the concept, just so you can get a feel for working through a question will limited information. Oftentimes students balk at this advice, saying, "but I haven't learned how to X, Y, or Z yet." The reality is that students can actually solve many problems based on what they already know. However, because the GRE "cloaks" its questions, many familiar concepts are disguised in a welter of verbiage or other such obfuscation. GRE Quantitative Section Tunnel Vision Some students become obsessed with a certain question type, at the expense of ignoring equally important concepts. For instance, some students begin to focus only on algebra, forgetting geometry, rates, counting and many of the other important concepts. This "tunnel vision" is dangerous; much as the "training wheels" phase lulls you into a false sense of complacency, only doing a certain problem type atrophies the part of your math brain responsible for being able to identify the type of question and the steps necessary to solve it. The Really High-hanging Fruit This is a subset of "tunnel vision." Really speaking, it is a more acute case. To illustrate, some students will spend an inordinate amount of time learning permutations and combinations problems. The time they could have spent on more important areas, such as number properties and geometry, is squandered on a question type that, at most, shows up twice on the GRE. The metaphor of the "really high-hanging fruit" captures this aptly: Would you climb to the very top of the tree to grab the meager combinations/permutations fruit, when right within your grasp are the luscious number properties fruit? Bad GRE Math Prep Sources Many of the sources out there do not offer practice content that is as difficult as what you'll see on the test. Some, such as Princeton Review, offer a meager number of sets with a mixture of questions types. Basically, the book never takes you out of the training wheel phase. Other content has questions in which you can easily apply a formula without first having to "crack" the problem. Again, such books will leave you woefully unprepared for the actual GRE. By the way, students who use Magoosh GRE improve their scores on average by 8 points on the new scale (150 points on the old scale.) Click here to learn more. About the Author Chris Lele has been helping students excel on the GRE, GMAT, and SAT for the last 10 years. He is the Lead Content Developer and Tutor for Magoosh. His favorite food is wasabi-flavored almonds. Follow him on Google+!

<b>Math Study Tips</b> for your HSC (Eww) | SIBT Students Posted: 17 Oct 2013 03:15 PM PDT "A mathematician is a blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat which isn't     there."                                                                                       –   Charles Darwin "A mathematical pun is the first sine of madness."                                  - Anonymous The word "mathematics" has been threatening students for centuries. To help prevent common pre-exam symptoms of shock and horror, I've provided you with some CRUCIAL tips which will make your HSC less intimidating and ultimately help you achieve that outstanding test score. What to expect. The paper will be out of a total of 100 marks, marks that will be harder to get as you progress (so don't get cocky at the beginning and zone out). Take all the help you can get. There will be a list of Standard Integrals attached to your question booklet, so use it. Attempting to guess them when they are delivered to you is completely idiotic. What's up for grabs?  The more marks a question is worth, the more love and devotion you should be showing it. If a question is worth more than one mark, you will be required to show your work for it. So show your work for it. Calculator at the ready. Figure out if it's DEG or RAD you want to use and then make sure your calculator is in the right mode! There's nothing more upsetting than completing an exam and realising that every answer will be wrong because of your failure to press buttons correctly. Basic steps. There is no point in doing the work if you're not actually answering the question. Read each question carefully, more than once if necessary. Write down the formula you are using for each question before you dive into equating and calculating willy-nilly. Don't undo. Don't go wild with the eraser if you think something's wrong – you can still get marks for showing your work if you're demonstrating correct problem solving methods. Leave all your scribbling behind as proof that you do (if only partially) know what you're doing. Re-check. Once you have completed every question, go back and check each one carefully, making sure you've answered all the components of a question. Use your calculator to re-trace your problem-solving steps and make sure you come up with the same solution. If you don't, you've got a little detective work to do to find out where you strayed from the path of correctness. . Bookmark the .

You are subscribed to email updates from Tips Study Mathematics - Google Blog Search To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Live My Life - <b><b>Tips Study Mathematics</b></b> Blog - Blogger

---

Live My Life - <b><b>Tips Study Mathematics</b></b> Blog - Blogger Posted: 06 Jun 2014 07:57 AM PDT I know everyone has different ways to study Add Maths. I write this post is to share my ways to study add math and I hope my study tips may help those who need it. Ok, there's a quote for you: Keep calm and learn Add Maths. I only found this picture. :P Haha...So, keep calm and love add maths.  Quite many of my friends asked me before: How do you learn additional mathematics? So, I try to write this post.  Year 2012 - I started my student life as a science student. Have to study AddMaths. When I first study chapter 1 - function, I thought it was not so difficult.  So, for my revision, I just read the notes given, and do homeworks and exercises given by our add maths teacher. (This tips work) I bought exercise book for add maths, but I was quite lazy to do it everyday. So, I did it every week. (This won't really work)In March, we had monthly test. I was not so satisfied with the marks that time. Day by day, I found that Add Maths is different from mathematics, it is more difficult. I was quite stress that time and always get frustrated when I can't find a solution for a question. But, just don't want to give up.    One day, I asked my addmaths teacher: How to learn addmaths?  The answer is: Do more exercise. I asked my teacher again: What is the simplest way to learn addmaths? The answer is: Do more exercise lor. Well, same answer, I decided to do more exercises for addmath. (This tips really work. That's why when my friends asked me how do I learn addmaths, my answer will always be: DO MORE EXERCISES.)  So, I tried. Everyday, I took 1 hour to do addmaths exercise. I found that addmaths actually is so interesting and challenging. No matter what, everyday I will do exercise for addmaths at least 30minutes. After that, I found that addmath is not so difficult as what I thought before. For the next exam, I was able to score for my additional mathematics. Year 2013 - For SPM, I achieved my target for addmath and get the grade that I targeted.  Ok, that's part of my story, the point is NEVER GIVE UP.  Come to the study tips:  - You need to pay attention in class. Listen to what teacher are teaching.  - You have to finish all the exercises/assignments given by your teacher. Listen to your teacher's advice.  - You need to have a reference book. I suggest you to buy Pelangi/Oxford one.  - You need to buy exercise book for additional mathematics and do all the exercises. For suggestion, you should buy exercise book which there are steps for the answer. I used "1201 Bank Soalan Matematik Tambahan"(Pan Asia Publication), Cerdik Publication also not bad (Fly High series if i am not mistaken, during my year lah...)  - For SPM candidates,  you should do SPM past years questions. Somemore, you should do Koleksi Kertas Percubaan SBP. You should also do all the SPM trial papers, for me, I use Pelangi one.  - For your timetable, try to get 1 hour or at least 30 minutes for your AddMaths revision.  - Form a study group. You will not get bored when you study addmath with you friends in the form of study group. You can ask them when you have question and discuss with each other. (This tips really work for me. When I don't know how to solve a question, I will discuss with my friends. And when we got to solve the problem together, we'll feel happy and satisfied.  :D )   - You should ask teacher when you have problem or you cannot solve a question. You must listen and pay attention when your teacher is teaching about the steps in solving the problem. - When doing your addmaths homework, you can listen to mp3. Listen to your favourite song or some relaxing music. This can help in reducing stress. - You need to UNDERSTAND. Learning additional mathematics is not like learning history or reading novel. You need to understand the concepts. It won't work if you memorize.  - You need to MASTER the formulas. - Don't just think harder, you need to THINK SMARTER. - When doing exercises for addmath, remember to write the answer STEP BY STEP. This is important to keep it as habit, so that during exam, you won't skip the step for your solution.  - Don't be stress when study addmath.  - Be well prepared for the exam. All the best! ;)  - Always think positive and believe that you can do it! Never give up! Ok?  I think these are what I can share. Maybe my study tips are not the best tips and maybe not complete, but hopefully can be helpful. If you don't think the tips are useful/helpful, please go refer to other people study tips especially the PRO one. :)  *** Sorry if I've wrote something wrong especially for the grammar mistakes. Thank you for reading my blog. :)

How to <b>Study</b> for GRE <b>Math</b> | Magoosh GRE Blog Posted: 14 Mar 2013 09:41 AM PDT So you've bought a few of the major test prep books, and you're ready to rip into the quantitative part. You'll read through each book, page by page, and by the end, GRE math mastery will be yours. If only! Studying for the GRE math is actually much more complicated than the above. Indeed many become quickly stymied by such an approach, feeling that after hundreds of pages and tens of hours they've learned very little. To avoid such a thing befalling you, keep in mind the following important points on how to study for the GRE math section (and how not to!). The GRE Math formula trap How can formulas be bad, you may ask? Aren't they the lifeblood of the GRE math? Actually, formulas are only so helpful. And they definitely aren't the lifeblood of the quant section. That would be problem-solving skills. Many students feel that all they have to do is use the formulas and they can solve a question. The reality is you must first decipher what the question is asking. Only at the very end, once you know how the different parts come together, can you "set up" the question. All too often, many students let the formulas do the thinking. By that I mean they see a word problem, say a distance/rate question, and instead of deconstructing the problem, they instantly come up with d(distance) = r(rate) x t(time) and start plugging in parts of the question. In other words, they expect the question to fall neatly into the formula. To illustrate, take a look at the following question: Two cyclists, Mike and Deborah, begin riding at 11:00 a.m. Mike rides at a constant rate of 40 kilometers per hour (kph), and Deborah rides at a constant rate of 30 kph. At noon Mike stops for lunch. At what time, will Deborah pass Mike, given that she continues at a constant rate? Students are tempted to immediately rely on the d = rt formula. They think: Do I use the formula once for Mike and once for Deborah? Or just once? But which person do I use it for? This an unfortunate quandary; the solution to the question relies on figuring out how many miles Mike has gone in one hour and how many miles behind him Deborah is (there is no formula for this conceptual step). Only at that point, does one use the d = rt formula. The answer, by the way, is 12:20 minutes. This is but one example from one concept. But if you find yourself stuck in a problem with only a formula or two in hand, remember that the essence of problem solving is just that: solving the problem using logic, so you can use the formula when appropriate. How to study for GRE math? Use training wheels! Many students learn some basic concepts/formulae and feel that they have the hang of it. As soon as they are thrown into a random fray of questions, they become discombobulated, uncertain of exactly what problem type they are dealing with. Basic problems, such as those you find in the Manhattan GRE math books, are an excellent way to begin studying. You get to build off the basic concepts in a chapter and solve problems of easy to medium difficulty. This phase, however, represents the "training wheels." Actually riding a bike, much like successfully answering a potpourri of questions, hinges on doing GRE math practice sessions that take you out of your comfort zone. In other words, you should try a few questions chosen at random. Opening up the Official Guide to the GRE and doing the first math questions you see is a good start. Even if you haven't seen the concept, just so you can get a feel for working through a question will limited information. Oftentimes students balk at this advice, saying, "but I haven't learned how to X, Y, or Z yet." The reality is that students can actually solve many problems based on what they already know. However, because the GRE "cloaks" its questions, many familiar concepts are disguised in a welter of verbiage or other such obfuscation. Quantitative Section tunnel vision Some students become obsessed with a certain question type, at the expense of ignoring equally important concepts. For instance, some students begin to focus only on algebra, forgetting geometry, rates, counting and many of the other important concepts. This "tunnel vision" is dangerous; much as the "training wheels" phase lulls you into a false sense of complacency, only doing a certain problem type atrophies the part of your math brain responsible for being able to identify the type of question and the steps necessary to solve it. The really high-hanging fruit This is a subset of "tunnel vision." Really speaking, it is a more acute case. To illustrate, some students will spend an inordinate amount of time learning permutations and combinations problems. The time they could have spent on more important areas, such as number properties and geometry, is squandered on a question type that, at most, shows up twice on the GRE. The metaphor of the "really high-hanging fruit" captures this aptly: Would you climb to the very top of the tree to grab the meager combinations/permutations fruit, when right within your grasp are the luscious number properties fruit? Bad math prep sources Many of the sources out there do not offer practice content that is as difficult as what you'll see on the test. Some, such as Princeton Review, offer a meager number of sets with a mixture of questions types. Basically, the book never takes you out of the training wheel phase. Other content has questions in which you can easily apply a formula without first having to "crack" the problem. Again, such books will leave you woefully unprepared for the actual GRE. By the way, students who use Magoosh GRE improve their scores on average by 8 points on the new scale (150 points on the old scale.) Click here to learn more. About the Author Chris Lele has been helping students excel on the GRE, GMAT, and SAT for the last 10 years. He is the Lead Content Developer and Tutor for Magoosh. His favorite food is wasabi-flavored almonds. Follow him on Google+!

You are subscribed to email updates from Tips Study Mathematics - Google Blog Search To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

<b>Math Study Tips</b> for your HSC (Eww) | SIBT Students

---

<b>Math Study Tips</b> for your HSC (Eww) | SIBT Students Posted: 17 Oct 2013 03:15 PM PDT "A mathematician is a blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat which isn't     there."                                                                                       –   Charles Darwin "A mathematical pun is the first sine of madness."                                  - Anonymous The word "mathematics" has been threatening students for centuries. To help prevent common pre-exam symptoms of shock and horror, I've provided you with some CRUCIAL tips which will make your HSC less intimidating and ultimately help you achieve that outstanding test score. What to expect. The paper will be out of a total of 100 marks, marks that will be harder to get as you progress (so don't get cocky at the beginning and zone out). Take all the help you can get. There will be a list of Standard Integrals attached to your question booklet, so use it. Attempting to guess them when they are delivered to you is completely idiotic. What's up for grabs?  The more marks a question is worth, the more love and devotion you should be showing it. If a question is worth more than one mark, you will be required to show your work for it. So show your work for it. Calculator at the ready. Figure out if it's DEG or RAD you want to use and then make sure your calculator is in the right mode! There's nothing more upsetting than completing an exam and realising that every answer will be wrong because of your failure to press buttons correctly. Basic steps. There is no point in doing the work if you're not actually answering the question. Read each question carefully, more than once if necessary. Write down the formula you are using for each question before you dive into equating and calculating willy-nilly. Don't undo. Don't go wild with the eraser if you think something's wrong – you can still get marks for showing your work if you're demonstrating correct problem solving methods. Leave all your scribbling behind as proof that you do (if only partially) know what you're doing. Re-check. Once you have completed every question, go back and check each one carefully, making sure you've answered all the components of a question. Use your calculator to re-trace your problem-solving steps and make sure you come up with the same solution. If you don't, you've got a little detective work to do to find out where you strayed from the path of correctness. . Bookmark the .

You are subscribed to email updates from Tips Study Mathematics - Google Blog Search To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

<b>Math Study Tips</b></b> for your HSC (Eww) | SIBT Students

---

<b>Math Study Tips</b></b> for your HSC (Eww) | SIBT Students Posted: 05 Aug 2014 07:39 AM PDT Mathematics can be a difficult topic to some students. Many people have come up with different theories to justify why they are poor at math. "Is it because my parents are poor in mathematics, hence I have their genes for being poor in mathematics too?" "Is it because I didn't do well in maths when I'm 8 years old, hence when I'm 16 years old now, I cannot improve my grades anymore?" We are not sure how true these theories are, but what we can tell you is that these theories don't matter. We have helped students, regardless of their backgrounds, to improve their mathematics concept and foundation. Here are 7 tips that can help you to improve your grades today: 1. Never skip a math topic In every grade, there are a few math topics that a student has to finish learning. However, the bad habit in some students is to forgo some difficult topics and hope that they are not important in the examination. Yes, some topics may not carry high marks in the examination, but they will affect your understand at the next grade. Don't skip a topic because it is difficult. Find time to understand and master it. 2. Don't just read. Do it.  For every topic, there are questions to do to build the foundation for that topic. Most students like to read the topic, and thought that they understand it. There is a big difference between knowing it, and applying it. Most students don't know how to apply the concepts learn to solve problem sums. Math is different from other subjects like history, where you can score A just by memorizing. You have to do the sums in order to understand and score A from it. 3. Help your younger friends If you are doing well in certain math topics, go and help any friends who needs help. They may be your younger friends who just need some advice from you because he understands you better than his teacher. When you teach them, you also help yourself by solidifying the math principles you have learnt. This will help to improve your math, and help your friend's too! 4. Keep your workings neat When doing math, it is very common to write fast and scribble our writings on the paper. It is important to keep your workings neat. This is not only for the teachers who are marking your scripts, but it is for you to look back at your own work for revision. By keeping the writings neat, you can easily read through the train of thought that go through your mind when you're solving the questions. This will help you to implement the same thought process when you encounter the same issues again. 5. Always clarify, don't assume Math can be confusing some times and we may thought some math concepts are the same. Hence, it is always important to clarify with your teachers or tutors about any questions you may have, than to make your own assumptions. 6. Study related topics together This is a big tip when it comes to revision. Studying related topics together can build momentum and increase your confidence level to head into the examination hall. In math, there are topics that are closely related to each other. Example – Differentiation & Integration. They are under the concept of Calculus. Inside Calculus, you have more topics, like Calculation of Area and Volume. When you study these topics together, you see that many formula are inter-linked and this helped you to study both chapters within the same time together. When you master one topic, you have also mastered the other topic at the same time. 7. Get a math buddy The best way to learn anything, is to learn with a friend. If you have a good friend, make him your learning buddy. It is okay if both of you are not scoring well in math. But both of you must be willing to work hard to improve your grades. The worst person to study with, is the person with lousy learning attitude that drains your motivation and energy. With a math buddy, both of you can motivate each other, teach other, and most importantly, score A together. For more tips on improving your math, you can watch the video below. It shows you some tricks how to study your math!

<b><b>Tips</b></b> to ace Exam FM&#39;s materials | - Blog - Coaching <b>...</b> Posted: 06 Aug 2014 07:03 AM PDT Written by Ramy Gaballa:  Before discussing the details, most of us had the following question before studying for FM: What kind of math do we need to master before starting to study for this exam? Simply put, this exam does not require rigorous math. The math used in FM includes basic algebra and calculus. Topics that require rigorous math do not show up very frequently on the exam. These topics include: 1) Variable force of interest, which requires basic knowledge of differentiation and integration 2) Continuous varying stream of payments where you have to integrate by parts, but everyone usually uses a short-cut formula 3) Immunization, duration, and convexity – these topics require differentiation 4) And finally, what I call "contingent payoffs in the derivatives section". These require applying very basic probability-based calculations and such questions do not come up on the exam very frequently (expect a single question per hundreds of questions) Previous knowledge of sequence and series topics can help you in understanding the topics where you should be able to use short-cuts and manipulation to deal with a sequence of payments to solve the problem in less than 5 minutes. In the beginning, I used to plot a timeline in order to easily figure out the details, however, after a few weeks I abolished the idea of using timelines because it wastes a lot of time. Try to make everything as intuitive as possible. Remember that financial mathematics are used to numerically and mathematically represent details happening in real life. Sometimes certain information in some of the exam problems do not make economic sense and the reason why is that the examiner's goal is to test your quantitative skills regardless of the intuition behind the problems. Based on my experience, the SOA does not focus on specific topics. In my first attempt last February, I earned a 5 (I failed it). The main reason why this happened was that many questions focused on amortization of sinking funds, which is a relatively marginalized topic in most study manuals. During my 2nd attempt a few days ago, the exam was more balanced and the derivatives questions were far more advanced than those of my first attempt. The SOA sample derivatives questions posted on the SOA website are relatively advanced so you should be able to solve them under the exam conditions before taking the exam, as some people had exams where the derivatives part was extremely difficult. When solving Adapt exams, your goal should be reaching at least an earned level of 7 and you should keep solving level 7 exams after reaching this point. In my opinion, solving level 8 or above exams includes questions that are too advanced and unrealistic. Focus instead on individual topics that you have not mastered yet. After acing different topics, make sure to know the meaning of the following terms: 1) Theoretical price 2) Semi-theoretical price 3) Practical price 4) Dirty price 5) Full price 6) Clean price 7) Quoted price 8) Market rate 9) Repo rate 10) Lease rate Don't risk losing marks and failing the exam because of not spending 5 or 10 more minutes to know the meaning of such terms. Abolish the idea of using timelines and fancy mathematical derivations (if you can) after acing the topics because this can save you 30 to 60 minutes. Using fancy mathematical models and derivations is not wise when dealing with such problems. Your goal for FM is coming up with the exact solution as quickly as possible. This requires mastering techniques used in financial calculators. Using the store and recall buttons can save you a lot of time. Don't panic during the exam because this can negatively impact your performance. You should highlight the questions that are confusing and you should select any of the choices before skipping. Finally, you have to scrutinize your exam sitting's syllabus posted on the SOA website to check that you aced the topics mentioned. Good luck! Disclaimer: The content of this blog post is the sole opinion of the author and is not associated with Coaching Actuaries, its team members or its brand. Coaching Actuaries provides an opportunity for actuaries to share their ideas, but does not claim any responsibility for the content provided.

You are subscribed to email updates from Tips Study Mathematics - Google Blog Search To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Make It a Habit: Tips for Studying Math - <b>Tips Study Mathematics</b> Blog

---

Make It a Habit: Tips for Studying Math - <b>Tips Study Mathematics</b> Blog Posted: 30 Mar 2014 07:35 AM PDT If it seems like math tests these days are harder than they used to be, that's probably because they are. In a recent national survey, 86% of responding math teachers said they believe the newly adopted common core standards are more rigorous than prior standards. But a more difficult curriculum doesn't need to spell disaster for all (or any) students. Actually, adjusting to the revised common core standards can be quite simple and painless when students practice a few good studying habits. Slow and Steady Math isn't like other subjects that can be easily learned through late-night cramming or memorized with mnemonic devices. For most students, mathematical operations are disorienting, cumbersome, and unintuitive, and that makes it hard to process and retain large bits of unfamiliar material at once. In other words, students won't get the hang of trigonometry by speed-reading the three chapters they missed while on vacation, but it is possible to gain some traction by making a habit (rather than a special occasion) of studying and absorbing the material bit by bit. So start early Keep up with the homework and show up to class with questions about confusing parts of the chapter. That way, there will be no need to cover and catch up on large amounts of material at once, which can be challenging for anybody in the math world. Find Time Every Day Don't be intimidated by the idea of finding time each day to study. It doesn't have to be an all-night commitment. Instead, plan a half-hour before bed for practice problems or take advantage of downtime on the bus, between classes, or elsewhere to review notes and reread key sections from the textbook. Do the Math Mental math is fine for students who have already mastered the material, but working it out in your head is not an effective way for anyone to learn or review new material. Students–even good ones– who convince themselves they know the steps without ever performing them on paper often regret it on test day when they don't get the answer they'd expected or struggle to remember key steps and operations. Working out the problems not only reinforces the rules and orders of operations in students' minds but also develops a sort of "muscle memory" for mathematical problem-solving. And that, in turn, reduces the chances of panicking or drawing a blank when tests and exams roll around. Adjusting to the revised common core standards has potential to be a road bump for any student of math, but with a bit of effort, students who make habits of these studying tips will find they're quickly up to speed and comfortable with the new material.

You are subscribed to email updates from Tips Study Mathematics - Google Blog Search To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

How to <b>Study</b> for GRE <b>Math</b> | Magoosh GRE Blog

---

How to <b>Study</b> for GRE <b>Math</b> | Magoosh GRE Blog Posted: 14 Mar 2013 09:41 AM PDT So you've bought a few of the major test prep books, and you're ready to rip into the quantitative part. You'll read through each book, page by page, and by the end, GRE math mastery will be yours. If only! Studying for the GRE math is actually much more complicated than the above. Indeed many become quickly stymied by such an approach, feeling that after hundreds of pages and tens of hours they've learned very little. To avoid such a thing befalling you, keep in mind the following important points on how to study for the GRE math section (and how not to!). The GRE Math formula trap How can formulas be bad, you may ask? Aren't they the lifeblood of the GRE math? Actually, formulas are only so helpful. And they definitely aren't the lifeblood of the quant section. That would be problem-solving skills. Many students feel that all they have to do is use the formulas and they can solve a question. The reality is you must first decipher what the question is asking. Only at the very end, once you know how the different parts come together, can you "set up" the question. All too often, many students let the formulas do the thinking. By that I mean they see a word problem, say a distance/rate question, and instead of deconstructing the problem, they instantly come up with d(distance) = r(rate) x t(time) and start plugging in parts of the question. In other words, they expect the question to fall neatly into the formula. To illustrate, take a look at the following question: Two cyclists, Mike and Deborah, begin riding at 11:00 a.m. Mike rides at a constant rate of 40 kilometers per hour (kph), and Deborah rides at a constant rate of 30 kph. At noon Mike stops for lunch. At what time, will Deborah pass Mike, given that she continues at a constant rate? Students are tempted to immediately rely on the d = rt formula. They think: Do I use the formula once for Mike and once for Deborah? Or just once? But which person do I use it for? This an unfortunate quandary; the solution to the question relies on figuring out how many miles Mike has gone in one hour and how many miles behind him Deborah is (there is no formula for this conceptual step). Only at that point, does one use the d = rt formula. The answer, by the way, is 12:20 minutes. This is but one example from one concept. But if you find yourself stuck in a problem with only a formula or two in hand, remember that the essence of problem solving is just that: solving the problem using logic, so you can use the formula when appropriate. How to study for GRE math? Use training wheels! Many students learn some basic concepts/formulae and feel that they have the hang of it. As soon as they are thrown into a random fray of questions, they become discombobulated, uncertain of exactly what problem type they are dealing with. Basic problems, such as those you find in the Manhattan GRE math books, are an excellent way to begin studying. You get to build off the basic concepts in a chapter and solve problems of easy to medium difficulty. This phase, however, represents the "training wheels." Actually riding a bike, much like successfully answering a potpourri of questions, hinges on doing GRE math practice sessions that take you out of your comfort zone. In other words, you should try a few questions chosen at random. Opening up the Official Guide to the GRE and doing the first math questions you see is a good start. Even if you haven't seen the concept, just so you can get a feel for working through a question will limited information. Oftentimes students balk at this advice, saying, "but I haven't learned how to X, Y, or Z yet." The reality is that students can actually solve many problems based on what they already know. However, because the GRE "cloaks" its questions, many familiar concepts are disguised in a welter of verbiage or other such obfuscation. Quantitative Section tunnel vision Some students become obsessed with a certain question type, at the expense of ignoring equally important concepts. For instance, some students begin to focus only on algebra, forgetting geometry, rates, counting and many of the other important concepts. This "tunnel vision" is dangerous; much as the "training wheels" phase lulls you into a false sense of complacency, only doing a certain problem type atrophies the part of your math brain responsible for being able to identify the type of question and the steps necessary to solve it. The really high-hanging fruit This is a subset of "tunnel vision." Really speaking, it is a more acute case. To illustrate, some students will spend an inordinate amount of time learning permutations and combinations problems. The time they could have spent on more important areas, such as number properties and geometry, is squandered on a question type that, at most, shows up twice on the GRE. The metaphor of the "really high-hanging fruit" captures this aptly: Would you climb to the very top of the tree to grab the meager combinations/permutations fruit, when right within your grasp are the luscious number properties fruit? Bad math prep sources Many of the sources out there do not offer practice content that is as difficult as what you'll see on the test. Some, such as Princeton Review, offer a meager number of sets with a mixture of questions types. Basically, the book never takes you out of the training wheel phase. Other content has questions in which you can easily apply a formula without first having to "crack" the problem. Again, such books will leave you woefully unprepared for the actual GRE. By the way, students who use Magoosh GRE improve their scores on average by 8 points on the new scale (150 points on the old scale.) Click here to learn more. About the Author Chris Lele has been helping students excel on the GRE, GMAT, and SAT for the last 10 years. He is the Lead Content Developer and Tutor for Magoosh. His favorite food is wasabi-flavored almonds. Follow him on Google+!

You are subscribed to email updates from Tips Study Mathematics - Google Blog Search To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610